Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on Wednesday accused President Trump of disrespecting the U.S. Supreme Court by turning the process of nominating a new justice into a game show.
On the Senate floor, Leahy said Republicans and Trump himself want Democrats to rush the confirmation process along, but he questioned whether Trump was taking any part of the process seriously.
“I know the president thinks they should [speed up the process], but I also wonder how seriously even he takes this,” Leahy said.
“His announcement yesterday was like he was announcing the winner of a game show,” he added. “I brought in these two people, and now! Here’s the winner!”
“We’re talking about the U.S. Supreme Court. Treat it with the respect it deserves,” Leahy said.
Trump on Tuesday had his top two choices fly into Washington for his announcement that he picked Judge Neil Gorsuch of Colorado as his nominee. Gorsuch and Trump’s other possible pick, Judge Thomas Hardiman, both came to the nation’s capital, which made it difficult for reporters to figure out which one would get the nomination.
In past years, the travel schedule of the eventual nominee has tipped to the press who was about to be named.
